November 30, 2004
Crif Dogs
113 St. Marks Place between 1st and Ave A
New York, NY 10009
Phone 212.614.2728
Among all the bars, shops, tattoo parlors, and fast food 
places on St. Marks Place lies a gem I am hesitant to tell you about. I am afraid if more people discover this place it may become too crowded on days that I go there. Crif Dogs is one of those quirky little food places that make New York City so special. As you approach Crif Dogs you will clearly see the can’t miss "Eat Me" sign out front. After walking down a few steps you enter a place that is just fun to be at. There is a big box of games like, Connect Four, Chutes and Ladders, etc. There is a Galaga/Centipede Arcade Game and to my sister-in-laws delight a tabletop Ms. Pac-Man game. There is usually a skateboard or some other extreme sports video on the TV and all kinds of old school toys, dolls, and action figures. Even with all this the Hot Dogs are the main attraction.
Crif Dogs are without a doubt the best Hot Dogs in New York City. Most are Deep Fried and have a deliciously crispy skin. Some of the choices on the Menu may seem scary but I have yet to have a bad Hot Dog here. It is so hard to select a favorite. How can one choose between a Tsunami, which is a Hot Dog wrapped in Bacon with Teriyaki, Pineapple and Green Onions and a Chihuahua, which is a Bacon Wrapped Hot Dog, covered with Avocados and Sour Cream. Most of my friends seem to be partial to the Spicy Redneck, a Chili, Cole Slaw and Jalapeno covered Hot Dog. The bottom line is, they are all great. The cashier/order takers at the counter are the nicest friendliest fast food workers you will ever meet. Go to Crif Dogs now, you won't be disappointed. Oh and please don't tell too many people about this place I like that it is usually not too crowded.
Posted by leesays at 08:11 AM | Comments (0)
November 28, 2004
August
359 Bleecker St, between Charles and West 10th
New York, NY 10014
Phone 212.929.4774
August is an Eclectic European Bistro creating dishes from various regions of Europe. 
We arrived at 8pm Saturday (Thanksgiving Weekend) and were told there is about a 35 minute wait unless we wanted to take the table next to the front door. We reluctantly accepted that table since we were both starving. The front dining room was a bit crowded and loud but it was nothing that would discourage me from coming back. Although August was crowded, our waiter was at our table within two minutes asking us if we wanted to order drinks. We opted for a $7 Merlot and an $8 Sauvingon Blanc.
We ordered an $8 Gnocchi with Sausage appetizer. It was light and tasty and with the sausage mixed in it was an excellent dish. Our busboy and waiter were very attentive they made it seem like we were the only people in the restaurant. My only qualm was that our bread and butter was brought to our table at the same time as our appetizer, I wish it had been brought out sooner. The $21 Grilled Beef Bavette was about 5 to 6 nice slices of sirloin cooked perfectly medium rare. The beef was very flavorful and placed on top of some greens. The $17 Skate Grenobloise was in brown butter and served with cauliflower and capers. The flavors mixed wonderfully and I even ate the cauliflower (I am not much of a vegetable eater). The size of the Skate was not very big but it was in proportion with the price. Sides are not included with the entrees so we ordered a pomme frites side that came with mayonnaise. It was typical fries. We opted to skip dessert at August because we were craving cupcakes from Buttercup Bake Shop. The bill with 2 glasses of wine, 1 appetizer, and 2 entrees and a side dish came to $73. This was a great meal at a great price.
Posted by leesays at 12:13 PM | Comments (0)
November 25, 2004
Blue Water Grill
31 Union Square West
New York, NY 10003
Phone 212.675.9500
Blue Water Grill is exactly what I have come to expect from a Stephen Hanson restaurant. It has excellent food, service, and decor.
Main Dining Room
Our reservation this evening was for the downstairs Jazz Room. We arrived downstairs exactly at the time of our reservation but were asked to wait at the bar area until we were called. We ordered two glasses of wine totaling $16 and within five minutes we were seated. We were actually seated at a table that I noticed was already set and ready to go when we first arrived, I found this a little peculiar since they made us wait five minutes by the bar. Our table was near the stage and with the Jazz Band playing and the sexy lighting the atmosphere was pretty romantic. Our waitress was both very attentive and professional.
For starters we ordered the $8 Bamboo-Steamed Shrimp Dumplings with Spicy Asian Dipping Sauce and 3 Raw Oysters and 3 Raw Clams on a Half Shell totaling $10. The Dumplings were crispy and non greasy and the dipping sauce had a nice tangy flavor. The Clams (Littlenecks and Cherrystones) and Oysters were great also. My entree the Ginger-Soy Lacquered Chilean Sea Bass was without question the best Sea Bass I have ever had. The Sticky Rice upon which the Sea Bass was placed on was very good and it is only rivaled by Spice Markets (Review coming soon) version. The $20 Grilled Big Eye Tuna was also exceptional. It was perfectly cooked, medium rare and it was a very nice size portion, especially for only $20. We had $7 Pinot Grigio, Vigneti Del Sole, Italy 2003 and $9 Riesling, Rudi Wiest, Germany 2002. Both wines were pretty good. I am definitely not a Sommelier but based on the extensive Wine List I would say Blue Water Grill has an excellent array of choices. For dessert we opted for was the $8 Blue Water Grills Chocolate Fondue. It came with Fresh Fruit skewers, Marshmallows, and Cookies. This was a perfect ending to a perfect meal. The total bill for the night not including the 2 drinks at the bar was $120. That was definitely not the cheapest dinner in a New York City Restaurant history but it was well worth it.
Posted by leesays at 09:56 PM | Comments (0)
November 23, 2004
Aja Restaurant
1066 1st ave at 58th st.
New York, NY 10022
Phone 212.888.8008
From the moment you arrive at Aja you realize this is not your typical Japanese Restaurant. A large wooden door is your gateway into this stylish restaurant. Beyond the door, there is a dark curtain hanging from the ceiling you may have to navigate your way through. Once you are firmly inside the Restaurant you will see to your right is a very neat looking small bar area (about 8-10 seats and a L-shaped couch tucked into the corner) with one plasma TV placed directly behind the bar. To the left is an inviting dining area, which is bound to make any Zen Master happy.
Aja's Dining Room
I started off with a $6 Tiger Beer at the bar while waiting for my friend to arrive. The bartender was extremely nice and the bar was very clean and well kept. Once my friend arrived a hostess walked us through the dining room and over the goldfish and koi tanks built into the floor and sat us one table away from this massive Buddha. The Buddha is part of a waterfall type fountain with goldfish and kois. There is a light that shines on the Buddha and it changes color throughout the night making the entire area around you change color, which was a nice touch.
Okay enough about the decor. We started off ordering two sushi rolls as our appetizers. The $8 Spicy Shrimp Tempura Roll (5 pcs.) was very good. The Tempura was crispy and the Shrimp were fresh. The $8 Crunchy Spicy Tuna Roll was just as good as the Shrimp Tempura Roll. It was not overwhelmingly spicy and the crunchy texture was great. The $24 Char-Grilled Chilean Sea Bass with Miso and Sake Glaze was very tasty and was an average portion for the price. The $22 Hong Kong Duck was tasty but just a little dry. The Duck was chopped off the bone and it was an excellent sized portion for the price. One more Tiger Beer with dinner and the bill came to about $74 for 2 appetizers, 2 entrees, and 1 beer. A customer at the table next to us had the Kobe Beef that you cook at your table with a Japanese Stone Grill. It looked and smelled delicious. Overall this was a very good meal, great atmosphere, great date place. I would definitely go back.
Posted by leesays at 08:43 AM | Comments (0)